Westmont Hospitality Group, a Houston-based hotel ownership firm, has entered the local market by acquiring three suburban Red Roof Inns.

According to documents filed in the Erie County Clerk’s office, Westmont paid $16.8 million through its FMW RR I LLC affiliate. The inns were owned by R-Roof III LLC, part of a national investment group.

Westmont paid:

• $4,647,490 for the 108-room Red Roof Inn on Camp Road in Hamburg.

• $6,749,622 for the 109-room location on Maple Drive in Lancaster.

• $5,444,546 for the 108-room inn on Flint Road in Amherst.

In Lancaster and Hamburg, Red Roof neighbors the New York State Thruway, while the Amherst location is close to the University at Buffalo campus.

Officials of Westmont Hospitality could not be reached for comment.

Gary Praetzel, dean of Niagara University’s College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, said the deals likely came together because of a strong hotel market in Buffalo and Erie County.

“To see outside interests make this kind of investment tells me that people see opportunity in the local market,” said Praetzel, also chairman of Visit Buffalo Niagara. “In this economy, you wouldn’t be making multimillion investments in new markets unless you believed in its strength.”

According to data compiled by Smith Travel Research of Nashville, room occupancy rates in Buffalo and Erie County rose to 82.8 percent in August, a 0.3 percent gain from August 2010.

Year to date, they increased 3.6 percent from 64.3 percent in 2010.

In comparison, the U.S. hotel occupancy rate in August was 66.2 percent, up 3.7 percent from last August. For year to date, rates increased 4.5 percent, up from 58.8 percent, according to Smith Travel Research.

“The Westmont deal, to me, reflects the steadiness we have in Buffalo and Erie County when it comes to hotels,” Praetzel said. “Buffalo is clearly a market of opportunity.”

Founded in 1975, Westmont owns more than 1,100 hotels worldwide, including more than 400 in the United States. Its hotel brands include Hyatt, Radisson and Crowne Plaza.

Headquartered in Houston, Westmont’s Canadian division operates from the Toronto suburb of Mississauga.